REVOLUTIONIZING CHEMISTRY EDUCATION: THE IMPACT OF CHEMLAB SOFTWARE IN ANAMBRA STATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

The paper focused on the influence of Chemlab software on the training of chemistry in secondary schools in Anambra State, Nigeria, which has been affected by the lack of sufficient laboratory facilities and high degree of practical teaching. A quasi-experimental design was employed and used 200 SS2 students and 20 teachers of four schools in a three-month intervention. Academic performance, engagement, and the barriers to adoption were measured by pre- and post-tests, questionnaires, and focus group discussions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data using SPSS (t-test and ANOVA); qualitative data were analyzed on a thematic level using NVivo. According to results, significant improvement was observed in academic performance (p < 0.05) and increased engagement with students in the experimental category. Bottlenecks involved low levels of teacher preparation and lack of infrastructures. A model of the way Chemlab is to be incorporated into the chemistry curriculum was suggested; this model focused on teacher preparation and on policy provision. These results highlight the possibilities of digital tools to complement chemistry learning in low-income contexts, and can provide directions in curricular development and expansion in Nigeria.